Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks will be a free agent with a new agent. That is pretty much assured at this point.

Need any more evidence than what’s been presented the past few months by the Giants, former offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride's harsh words and reports of Nicks' tardiness and fines?

Well, coach Tom Coughlin provided it Friday at the NFL Combine.

"He’s a free agent,” Coughlin said. “Who knows? You’d basically like to have all of your free agents back. That doesn’t happen. You have guys that are injured, you have limitations on salary.

“I’m sure that the [free-agent] market will be where Hakeem will go and we’ll see what happens.”

Nicks, 26, is coming off perhaps the worst season of his career. He didn’t record a touchdown catch and didn’t play in the Giants’ biggest game of the season against the Dallas Cowboys.

Put it all together and the chances of Nicks returning to the Giants next season are “close to zero,” according to a person with knowledge of the situation. That would leave the Giants with Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle and Jerrel Jernigan as the only proven wide receivers currently on the roster for next season.